-Although Australia's Outback is known for being scarce in terms of population, the country is among the most urbanized. With 91 percent of Australian residents living in either Melbourne or Sydney. This makes the inland area much less populated and is continuously declining.
Historical Settlement
-Coming from Southeast Asia into Australia were the ancestors of Aborigine populations about 60,000 years ago. During this time the last glacial period made sea levels much lower than they are currently making these ancestors more likely to have come to the country by some sort of watercraft. After much time had passed a British sea captain named James Cook spotted Australia between 1768 and 1780 as land worthy of European development. Eight years later European colonization began in Australia once the British were in need of remote penal colonies where convicts could be executed. Attracted by the agriculture more and more Irish and British English speakers began to move in to Australia occupying the coast as well as the inland areas. The desire for minerals such as gold was another important reason as to why Australia was an attractive area to settle.
-With Australia being very highly westernized, as well as urbanized the majority of their population live city, suburban lifestyles. This transformation towards urbanization came to be in the 20th century as intensive labor became more scare in the rural economy and the employment of urban manufacturing grew. The less developed cities of Australia strike a huge contrast with the westernized style of the urban environment. Wile the rural areas of Australia pose a significant cultural as well as economic influence. Although in such rural environments natives who have remained unchanged by the European changes still exist they are becoming exploited by such Global influences as foreign tourism and cash economy. Because the region is too dry for farming it has low agricultural value, although since 1960 the areas crop size has doubled due to the existence of new fertilizers.
Diverse Demographic Paths
-Although in the 20th century Australia's population boomed due to natural increases their low rate of birth today is equal to that of North America. Problems such as the younger generation leaving rural areas to achieve profitable jobs in the city occur with such detrimental shifts in population. Regions such as New Zealand and Australia seem to attract migrants although their neighbor Fiji have a remaining high rate of migration.
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